Deep cuts to student aid would reduce availability

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The commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday that lawmakers must make conservative cuts to higher education grants and funding.
The boards main responsibility is to coordinate state-funded scholarships and grants. The board responded to a proposed 41-percent reduction in the grants, which would make funding available to only half of the current amount of students in the next biennium and no new students.
If we cut off that financial aid, a lot of kids that are in high school now are going to give up on their college dreams, said Raymund Paredes, the boards commissioner. We will suffer the repercussions of those decisions for generations.
Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said one option to spare the board from cuts is to restructure scholarship and financial aid awards so that more money can be given in subsequent years.
Im hoping we can put some more money in there, she said.
I think the Higher Education Coordinating Board is looking at not just saying everyone can get financial aid, but maybe theyll be looking at merit and financial need in the future.
The initial proposal shows a 25-percent cut in programs under the boards direction, but the Senate and House finance committees will determine the boards final budget.
Reductions should occur in a need-only basis after analyzing the effectiveness of individual programs, not across-the-board cuts, Shapiro said.
Were evaluating the Higher Education Coordinating Board  they took some very severe cuts, she said. They decided to include all of their programs and just cut everyone 25 percent.
Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, said Gov. Rick Perry should use a portion of the Rainy Day Fund, a $9 billion emergency fund available to lawmakers, to avoid higher education cuts.
I respectfully disagree with our governor on the usage of the Rainy Day Fund, Lucio said. I think we should take a billion dollars and take care of higher education in our state.